1
as in to affect
to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response
the pressure of final exams is beginning to tell on the students in the dorm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to talk
to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities
detectives convinced the perpetrators in custody to tell on their associates
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tell (on)
Verb
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Nearly 10,000 were affected by the downpours in recent days, including more than 3,200 people who were forced to move to emergency shelters or with relatives, Dayanghirang said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026 -
Across the globe, nations were assessing how the high court’s ruling might affect them.—
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pohlad, who went to Georgia to meet with Byron Buxton and California to talk to Joe Ryan, has also recently been tapping into the knowledge of former players, including the rotating cast of television analysts.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
-
As is her nature, Hudson talks openly and honestly about how being a mother has intertwined with her career.—
Amy Amatangelo,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Close friends and others in the community say dignity, love and privacy shaped nearly every aspect of the couple’s life in New Mexico and even influenced the circumstances surrounding their deaths.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
18 Feb. 2026
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In 2009, after studying a mother and a daughter who were both short sleepers, Fu published a paper about a variation in a gene called DEC2, which influences the production of orexin, a hormone associated with wakefulness.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Week after week, her photos and skills impressed the judges — but the critiques kept coming.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Quill said that talent alone doesn’t impress him.—
Abraham Nudelstejer,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Prioritize your safety by staying informed and prepared.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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The Declaration mandates no particular American foreign policy, but the values the document embodies have always informed it, even as American statesmen have struggled to reconcile the country’s many mundane interests with the principles that gave it birth.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Those in the mountain/foothill communities who are without power from the recent storm will be especially impacted.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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Pressure to stop using certain images or data, from US media giants or other sources, may also impact efforts to refine AI.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a sports media landscape often dominated by contract disputes and on-field rivalries, the Garrett-Kim interview resonated as something refreshingly heartfelt — and the poem, a four-line verse touching on the themes Garrett says occupy his mind most, struck the deepest chord.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
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How would a person whose skin had never touched the outside air or been exposed to sunlight or temperature extremes react upon experiencing these for the first time?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Staff strike an easy balance, remaining accessible while still giving guests the space to enjoy the area’s quiet and calm.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
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As the game entered stoppage time, the algorithm was on course for a rare correct scoreline, but then Wolves teenager Tom Edozie struck and Arsenal substitute Riccardo Calafiori could only divert the ball into the net, blowing the title race wide open.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Tell (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tell%20%28on%29. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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